The Shadow's Victim
by Mikashimotaku
Summary: Amano Ichigo was just a normal girl. But their meeting changed everything, tossing her into the world of the supernatural; more dangerous than she ever expected. The raging strength of those hidden in the dark, struggling to reach out and touch the light. AU, KashinoxIchigo.


**Me: Hello everyone.**

**Kashino: Now, what is this?**

**Me: A new story...? :)**

**Kashino: No.**

**Me: I know... I know. So here's the deal guys, MJMS is wrapping up and just so you all know, there will be a sequel. But when I'm done MJMS I want to take a quick break from it instead of going straight into the sequel. This is the tester chapter for the story that I will put in between the two.**

**This is my first real take on dark themes. As a writer, I want to stretch myself in ways I never thought possible. You know, when I was little, I never thought I would write something dark. Haha. So I've got this story all planned out, it'll be about 10 chapters in length.**

**To clear stuff up, this story is absolutely AU. There is nothing related to Yumeiro Patissiere beside the fact that I am using the names of the characters Amano Ichigo and Kashino Makoto. Alright? In fact, if it leans one way or another, I might just make this into a fiction story. Who knows? Anyway, I hope you enjoy it! Well, as much as you can enjoy something that I _think _is dark. **

**As usual, I do not own Yumeiro Patissiere!**

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The Shadow's Victim

Prologue: Nightmare

_Beep. Beep. Beep._

The alarm clock atop the bedside table rang out as it did every other morning. And as usual, her gentle hands crawled across the table's surface until finding the clock, swiftly shutting it off.

Sighing deeply, the figure beneath the bed sheets lay still for a moment. Though, eventually she stretched, pushing the blankets away from her. Amano Ichigo, a girl 18 years of age. Her eyes were a dazzling brown, deep like the colour of mature cherry wood. Likewise, her brown hair, trailing down to the ends of her shoulder blades; slightly wavy, though mused from her night's sleep.

She yawned once, sitting up in her bed and rubbing her eyes. She slipped her legs out from under the cover, hovering her feet above the cold floor for her slippers. When she found them, she shuffled across the room, toward the door.

She was in for another typical day; as typical as it could be for a high school senior. Wandering into the bathroom, Ichigo rubbed the last bits of sleep from her eyes. Looking into the mirror, she smiled to herself, "Good morning Ichigo." Cheerfully, she reached for her toothbrush and began her morning routine.

Even when waking up on time, Ichigo never seemed to make it to school in time. Like any other typical girl, she was constantly seen running with her school shoes half on, a piece of toast held firm between her lips.

Many people greeted her as she ran by them, and she was polite to call out a hello to them as well. At the train tracks, the usual morning train blocked her way and allowed her time to catch her breath. Not to mention to fix her shoes and finally eat her toast.

Brushing off the stray crumbs from her mouth, she waited for the train to pass. Just beyond the train tracks, the homes of some of her friends. Ichigo was the kind of person who made friends with everyone, often seen with different people every day.

She was a joy to everyone who knew her. That smile she gave anyone, a beacon of light to the dreary life everyone else was trying to push through. "Hello Ichigo!" Someone called to the brunette as she passed another intersection.

"Hi!" She chirped back in response. A girl in her class, friendly, a demeanor that looked shy, her blue pupils hidden behind a pair of thick framed glasses. Nonetheless, Ichigo was not afraid to approach her. "Today is a good day, don't you think?" She said sweetly, swinging her schoolbag in her arms, "I feel like today will be a special day!"

"Any reason?" Her classmate asked curiously, pushing her glasses up her nose, catching the sun's light on the lenses.

Ichigo shook her head, "Nah." Looking up toward the sky, a light shade of cyan, with cotton candy clouds floating by, her lips turned up into a tender smile, "It's just that feeling."

"You always have that feeling Ichigo."

She laughed in response, "Yeah, I know. Probably nothing special right?"

When the two girls made it to school, each went to their separate lockers to change their shoes. Ichigo looked around her half filled classroom, arriving at half past 8. "Good morning!" She said delightfully, receiving a murmur of "good morning" and "hello" in response.

The teacher looked up, a woman of young age for a teacher, with honey blonde hair pulled into a professional styled bun. "Good morning Amano-san," She said, putting a bookmark in her book and laying it down, aligned to the corner of her desk. Ichigo sauntered over to her usual seat, 2 seats down from the teacher's desk, behind Kozumi Kana. She was luck to secure a seat next to the window, as the school had a great sense of atmosphere. A large oak tree grew at the side of the school, the branches providing shade to her seat, along with the melodies of birds in the nest branches below.

Once the bell had rung, all the students had made it into the classroom and the teacher opened her attendance book. She began to call each student's name, one by one. "Amano Ichigo," She said.

Ichigo looked away from the window and gave her teacher that signature smile of hers, "Here!"

As the teacher continued listing off other students, Ichigo's eyes wandered toward the shining rays of the sun, spilling through the leaves of the oak tree and filtering patterns onto her desk.

_Everyone is under the wonderful warmth of the sun, _Ichigo thought to herself, _the same sun, that the whole world shares. _

A little blue bird landed by the window, to which Ichigo waved at it. It fluttered off, disappearing into the tree's dark leaves. _I wonder what other people are doing today..._

XxXxX

_Crunch. Crunch. Crunch._

He cursed under his breath, the glass and other debris being crushed beneath his feet. The thing was catching up to him. He could feel it's cold presence seeping into his skin, chilling his hollow feeling bones. The leather jacket he wore felt stiff with cold.

The rush of adrenaline coursed through his veins, spreading across his body like a drug. His senses felt like they were on fire, his fingertips tingling in anticipation. Stopping suddenly, the boy heard the broken shards scratch against the pavement.

The buildings overshadowed him, the thick coated darkness shielding him. The figure behind him stopped suddenly as well, almost though confused. Flashing white eyes, with not so much as a pupil to classify it as human. He turned to face it, a smirk playing on his lips, a malicious glint in his eye.

Kashino Makoto, a boy 18 in age. Dirty blond hair swept across his forehead, sticking to his skin from perspiration; piercing black pupils, encased in golden caramel irises. A thin cut at the corner of his upturned lips, a sneer of sorts. His stance showed one of boldness, bravery, and strength.

The cold rush it sent him whistled through his hair, tousling it into fly away strands that gave him that rugged look. Kicking away at the shards of glass that both he and it stood on, he yelled finally, "Is this all you can do?"

It seemed to hiss at him, accepting his taunt and rushing for him. Though, the blond moved swiftly; dodging to his left at an almost inhuman speed. That was who he was, inhuman.

His body seemed to melt into the shadows, disappearing as though he were never there. Suddenly, flashing behind the thing with the white eyes, holding a weapon made of darkness. It was like a pistol gun, with two long ropes attached. It was as black as a silhouette, unseen in the pitch darkness of the alley. With one swift movement, Kashino had wrapped the ropes around the thing's neck. It chocked, stumbling backward confusedly. Slowly tightening his hold on it, Kashino laughed. A thick, menacing laugh, that sent chills down the spine. "I will destroy every last one of you."

Flipping over at almost 180 degrees, Kashino threw the thing down onto the ground, pressing it's throat against the chilly ground, the shards of glass collecting it's blood, gaining a malicious tint of red. The ropes broke apart, not a trace left behind. All that was left was the pistol held in his steady hand, pressed against the temple of the thing he hated most. Silence fell over the alleyway, a frosty rush of air reminding him what his place was. His finger poised along the trigger.

Like the crack of a whip, the shot echoed against the walls, resonating in the boy's ears. The vibration seemed to travel through his very body, shaking his soul. And it was a very satisfying feeling to him. It was his time. The pistol held at his side shuddered, breaking into nothing but shadows. He wiped at the corner of his lip, where his cut had split open and tears of blood dripped into his mouth, tasting like rusted iron.

_The chosen who are covered by the darkness, _his thoughts wander before he caught himself. _The darkness that consumes just as, in exchange for everyone's light. _

Something fluttered behind him. A zap of electrical adrenaline crackled down his spine. Then it was gone, disappearing once again into the shadows. _What are those unlike me doing? Do they understand the meaning of sacrifice? Do they understand that-_

A force so bitter and strong caught him off guard, sweeping him off his feet. A faint sound escaped his throat, almost like a cry for help. It felt like he was being torn apart, the pain of white hot electricity ripping through him. The wind rushed all around him and he felt air knocked right out of his lungs. His hands reached out for a split second, trying to grab hold of an assurance that did not even exist. The faint glint of the gem attached onto his ring finger catching onto the eerie light of those with the white eyes.

The crunching feeling of being slammed against the cobblestone of a building, dizzying and disorienting. His vision blurring out of focus. The desperate attempt to regain focus; he was strength. He was to pull himself out of this. No one but him can do it. A crazy sizzling sensation, nauseating. Everything appearing in red. Futile attempts.

And suddenly, black.

XxXxX

"And that is the lesson for today, remember, your homework assignments are due at the end of the week."

Ichigo waited, watching everyone hurriedly putting away papers and pens, talking amongst each other about their plans for the rest of the afternoon. Always being the last to leave, Ichigo watched everyone leave the classroom, until it is just her and the teacher.

Slowly, she got up, pausing again to look at the window. She was always observant, taking in her surroundings. Finally, she looked to her teacher, giving her an assuring smile. Taking hold of her schoolbag, she exited the classroom alone. Amano Ichigo was definitely friendly. Though, she had no friend to call her own.

Walking down the hallway, she fished a stowed away lollipop from the pocket of her uniform. Crumpling the wrapper in her fingers and tossing it into the trash, she placed the strawberry candy under her tongue, allowing the flavours to stimulate her sense of taste. Sugar, sweet and comforting. She smiled to herself, skipping down the hallway, back down to her locker to change her shoes once again.

When she left the school building, most others were a long ways gone. The school yard was quiet. Ichigo walked alone, going in the opposite direction of her house. She always took the long way home. How she loved the downtown city, with its mysteries buried deep within it, just waiting for her to uncover them.

As she walked along the sidewalk, watching her feet, to make sure she doesn't step on any cracks, she heard a noise.

A noise of agony.

Pleading.

Come.

Save me.

It sent her head spinning, the adrenaline she felt clouding her brain. Where was it coming from?

She found herself at the entrance to an alleyway. It was cold, the wind swirling within it hitting her bare skin, prickling with goose bumps. The light warmth of the sun that she bathed in could not penetrate through the shadows. Though, the overwhelming voice beckoned to her. And she ran in.

Her eyes squinted through the unseen. When her eyes adjusted, she came face to face with a boy.

He lay on the ground, breathing raggedly, struggling to stand. She felt sick just looking at him; unbelievable waves of empathy coursing through her. Gritting his teeth, and sticking his feet into the ground with all his might, he stood. The strength he pushed himself to summon almost seemed to reflect in her eyes. Wonder, confusion, and most of all, fear.

He turned and saw her standing there. His skin was pale, almost sickly. A little curse slipped from his mouth, and he stared at her with those sharp golden eyes. "What are you doing here?"

Was this not a place where no one should go? A place where he led them, so that people like this wouldn't be hurt?

She didn't really hear what he said. She was frozen in shock. His leather jacket was torn to shreds at the bottom. His face was shadowed with dirt. "Get out!" He yelled at her, "It's danger-"

His pupils receded, and before she knew it, he had jumped toward her. His hand wrapped around her wrist with such strength she thought he might break her. He ran, pulling her along with him. "Whatever you do, don't look back," He ordered her harshly.

And yet, she did. What she saw behind her, chasing her as if it's life depended on it, she felt as though she had gotten all the life sucked right out of her. White eyes, like a lighthouse flashing in a stormy night. Black shadows crawling all over it like a shield, devouring the thing itself in return for its protection.

She stumbled, falling to the ground. The boy she had found, stopped. He let go of her, taking in a deep breath. She saw the look of pain on his face, knowing full well that something was wrong.

But then suddenly, he was gone. He melted into the shadows, disappearing from her sight. He had left her alone, terrified.

Or so she thought.

With a flash, he appeared behind the thing that threatened her livelihood; a tangle of rope and a pistol as dark as midnight held in his hands. She watched him choke it to the ground, her blood running cold in fear. Just what was that thing he was attacking? Just what was he for being able to do these things?

The ropes seemed to break under the pressure the creature forced upon it. The boy twisted around, adapting his strategy. Stretching his arms outward, he reached for the shadows. Ichigo saw a flash of red at his side.

Blood.

He winced, though continued. The shadows seemed to melt at his touch, and he melted them altogether to make a slick blade that fit perfectly in his bone crushing grasp. He jumped upward, the thing's eyes following him as he did.

Twisting in the air, he returned back to the ground with the blade pointed directly toward the creature, which howled out in response. Torrents of air rushed all around Ichigo, and she felt like she was being flung backward. She strained to see what was going on. She saw the boy's blade of shadows slice right into that thing. It screamed out, shattering into nothingness with atomic pressure, sending her flying backward even farther.

The boy melted into the shadows again, suddenly appearing at her side. He was holding tight to her, trying to control where on Earth she was flying to. She saw his face up close for the first time, a look of deadly determination set upon him. The world was crumbling around her, spinning around to the point where she could see nothing but him.

He looked at her before a short sigh escaped his lips. She found his hand on her head, a strange sense of darkness overtaking her. It burned, causing her to cry out. Her vision was filled with black splotches, like darkness was consuming her mind. She heard one thing before passing out completely.

"By the power of the shadows, I, Kashino Makoto command you to forget."

XxXxX

It felt as though her breath had gotten caught in her throat. And she shot up. Looking this way and that, she realized where she was.

It was her bedroom, the same as always. She sat in her bed, tangled amidst the blankets and pillows that surrounded her. Her skin was crawling and she was shaking. A cold sweat had broken out on her forehead.

Was it all just a dream? Her heart beat loudly, thundering in her ears. Something that had felt so real, fear that felt so fresh, was just a dream?

And then her alarm clock turned on for the day, leaving her with the reality that indeed she had just had a nightmare. Then suddenly, the flash of his caramel eyes flooded her memories and she was overwhelmed with fear. Though, there was no creature after her, and there was no boy with daring golden eyes.

It was just her and her boring, old alarm clock.

_Beep. Beep. Beep._

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**Me: So, like I said. I won't be continuing with this story until MJMS is sealed and done. I hope you liked it! Please tell me what you think, because I'm really looking for feedback. This is the first time I've really tried using a writing style like this too. **

**So leave me a review and tell me what you think!**

**Until next time!**

**xoxo**

**~Mikashi-chan :)**


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